Lessons from My Dad

My dad is nuts. Absolutely, positively, don't-bother-calling-back-cuz-he'll-be-the-same -(or worse)-tomorrow looney.

Back in the day, before we realized he was crazy, Dad used to impart his wisdom at regular intervals. He actually still does, but we just say "Yes, Dad" and move on. However, when I was a bit younger, I learned a few lessons from my dad. I notice remnants of these lessons sneaking into my life every so often. I shall share them now.

Nothing good ever happens at 3:00. Of course, this statement was almost always accompanied by examples. "What are you going to do at 3 AM?! Nothing! Nothing good can happen at 3 AM!" "Why would you want to be out at 3 PM? You'll just get caught in pre-rush hour traffic! And that's NOT GOOD!" Apparently regardless of whether it is 3:00 AM or PM, it's either too early or too late for anything good to happen. He's almost right. Almost.

Never trust a blinker. Okay, I'm going to confess, I still use this principal. Basically Dad's theory was you should never turn in front of a car with it's blinker on, because the idiot driving said car probably either doesn't realize their blinker is on or doesn't really mean it, and if you turn in front of them, you'll get hit, and it will be your fault and you'll probably die, and that's not good.

Always carry emergency money. Before debit cards, Dad felt like my brother and I needed to have "emergency cash" on us at all times. For important things, like if the car broke down or we were going to be 3.2 seconds late getting home. Dad provided the emergency cash, which was generous. For my brother, it was $20. For me, a shiny quarter. But I'm not bitter.

Naps are good. Another Dad-ism I like. Dad has always been a lover of his naps. Back in the day, he'd take an hour nap daily (perk #1 of owning your own business...extended lunch hour that includes a nap!) and a 2 hour nap on Saturday and Sunday after golf. As the years have gone by, Dad's naps have grown a little longer. He's currently napping about 18 hours a day.

Fun will kill you. I know, it sounds like a real downer, and sometimes, honestly, it is. But he's right. Planes crash. Cruiseliners sink. People get shot while hunting. Fair rides fall apart and kill everyone on board. It's a dangerous world we live in.

Sometimes you just have to walk away. No, not a divorce reference. When I was 18 and getting my first car (I was a late bloomer in the driving department, what can I say? See the previous Dad-ism for a possible explanation), I found my Dream Car. It was a fire engine red Sundance, adorable, and in my price range. Dad was putting down $1500 and I had to pay the rest in payments. The dealership didn't like Dad's price and Dad didn't like their price; so he wrote them a check for $1500 and tore it up in front of the salesman and forced me to leave. I cried all the way back to our office. He insisted they would call before we got back. When we got to the office (a 10 minute drive away), we had a message to come back for the car. Quite possibly the smoothest thing my dad ever did.

There's plenty more from Looney Tunes Land, but I prefer to meditate on these lessons - the ones that really stuck. They aren't pretty, but they ARE 100% Dad.